Burning in the Homeland
by Dormeur du Val
Summary: An alternate story arc picking up where episode 5 of season 2 left off. Setsuna and Marina do not simply return to the Kataron base...
1. Chapter 1

**Burning in the Homeland**

By Dormeur du Val

Disclaimer: Gundam is the creative property of Bandai Entertainment and I do not claim any ownership of their creations. So, please do not sue me! 

Notes: This story is an alternate story arc picking up at the end of episode 5 of season 2.

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Disbelieving, Marina surveyed the destruction that was Azadistan. She had been away for less than a month; how could the situation in her country have deteriorated so quickly? Was this the work of terrorists or perhaps the Conservatives? Surely, the A-Laws, and thereby the Federation, would not be so bold as to ignore the sovereignty of the Middle Eastern nation?

"All those people…" Marina began, horrified. Suddenly, Setsuna hissed as he took a sharp breath. He spoke words too low for the princess to catch, but she could tell from the expression on his face that something more than the razed city below had shaken him. She then became aware that the view through the window was swinging away from her homeland and towards the dark countryside.

"Setsuna, what are you doing? I must return!" The pilot's eyes flickered to meet those of the princess. Then, he replied, "It is not safe here. **You're** not safe here. There is nothing you can accomplish at this moment." Incredulously, Marina swung her chair to face the young man directly.

"I refuse to abandon my people, my country!" she asserted, "They are my responsibility! I…" Instantly, the craft rocked violently and Marina lurched against her restraints.

"Damn!" Setsuna cursed. His normally composed visage turned to one of concern. Bringing the craft to a lower altitude, his gaze took in readings from the console.

"If we stay low, under the smoke, it will make us a more difficult target. Nothing critical was …" _BOOM! _The craft shuddered and began to tailspin towards the earth. Marina cried out, gripping the arms of her chair as the force of their descent shoved her against her seat.

"S-Setsuna…" Without thinking, Marina reached over and placed a steady hand on the young man's arm, watching as he tried to slow their descent and level out the craft. Briefly, Setsuna's eyes took in Marina's slim hand on his arm and then darted to meet hers. Marina saw a stark emotion in those normally veiled eyes that she could not name, and it made her catch her breath. She wanted to say…

"Impact in 15 seconds. When we hit, be ready to move," he informed her. Marina nodded, took a deep breath, her fingers tightening on Setsuna's arm.

The force of the impact threw Marina forward so violently that had she not been wearing her restraints, she would have been a bloody, mangled mess against the forward view screen. She expected to hear the sound of crunching and scraping metal, but instead was met with a _VWHOOSH! _she didn't understand until she unscrewed her eyes and looked forward. Through the view screen, she could see waves of water lapping against the craft. _Leave it to Setsuna_, Marina thought in relief. At that thought, she turned to look at the pilot and gasped.

He was pitched forward against the console, his chest restraint having snapped in the impact. Seeping through his unruly, dark hair, Marina could see blood. With shaking fingers, and while calling his name in a panicked voice, Marina fought with the buckle that would release her from her chair.

"Let…me…_go_!" she howled in frustration. At last, the belt unclipped and Marina fell gracelessly onto the floor. Getting to her knees, she moved until she was level with Setsuna's head. She shook his shoulder gingerly, watching his face for signs that he was coming to.

"Setsuna! Setsuna F. Seiei! You must wake up. You yourself said that we aren't safe here. Please, for me, Setsuna!" No response. Marina began to shake, her heart thudding with fear. _He's not…_She couldn't bring herself to finish that thought. Her whole body taut with tensions, Marina unclipped what was left of Setsuna's restraint and sat him up in his chair. Silently praying, she tentatively put her ear over the left side of his breast. _Let there be a heartbeat. Allah, let there be a heartbeat!_

What felt like an hour passed, and then, a noise more beautiful than a choir of angels sounded. A dull, slow _thud_ followed by the shallow intake of air rushing into Setsuna's lungs. So weak with relief was Marina, that her knees were unable to support her and she melted to the ground, resting her head on the armrest.

"Thank you," she whispered thickly. Taking a deep breath, Marina pushed herself to her feet. _What to do next? We must get away from here soon, but how? Where should we go?_ Marina glanced at the view screen at the shore. Though hard to tell in the darkness, it looked about a mile off from their current position. She turned to once again look at Setsuna. Still out.

The craft began to vibrate and bob in the water. Momentarily, Marina wondered if it was going to explode; then she whipped her head to look outside. Blue/green glows could be seen appearing on the shore. First, three, then four, now seven! Mobile suits! A flash of red flew across Marina's field of vision followed shortly by something heavy landing on top of the craft, pushing it so low into the water that half of the view screen was submerged.

_They'll kill him!_ Marina's pulse quickened to the point where she was gasping for breath. She knew that whoever had razed Azadistan would not be friendly to the princess and would be even less friendly to an enemy soldier. Even if the force responsible for their current situation didn't guess at Setsuna's connection to Celestial Being, they would not let him live. Should they somehow know that he was a Gundam Meister, he would, again, be dead once they had garnered from him whatever information they could.

Thoughts only on Setsuna's safety, Marina ran through a dozen, unrealistic scenarios on how to save him. The sounds of the enemy trying to gain entrance to the inside of the craft reverberated throughout and only added to the princess's panic. Out of the blue, Marina remembered watching Sumeragi prepare the head back to the Ptolemaios. Relief and bleak hope giving her strength, Marina knelt on the floor in front of Setsuna, reached back, and pulled his arms over her shoulders. Inhaling, she stood up, slightly stooped. When she was sure that Setsuna's lithe, firm body was securely against her back, she made her way quickly to the stairs leading down to the passenger's deck.

Carefully, Marina navigated the steep, metal steps. The progress was agonizingly slow, as she did her best not to jostle or drop the unconscious pilot. _Please don't let me be hurting him_, _please don't let me hurt him…_ she silently repeated. Though she worried, the shallow exhales of breath on her neck gave helped soothe Marina's frayed nerves.

"You can do it. Only two more," Marina said to herself. The sounds of banging where growing louder and the woman tried to hurry the last two steps as her sense of urgency intensified. This proved to be a mistake. She overshot the step and went down, knees buckling. Her knees slammed against the metal floor of the passenger's deck, sending a searing pain rocketing throughout her body. It took her breath away. Through some twist of fate, Marina managed to hold tightly to Setsuna's arms and he stayed against her back. Marina channeled the adrenaline and slowly regained her feet.

Finally, she reached her destination. Backing up the passenger benches, Marina gently deposited Setsuna and rapidly began feeling under the lip of the bench for the catch she saw Sumeragi use. Her fingers brushed a metal ring, she gave it a quick tug, and a section of the bench popped open like the trunk of a car. The space inside was both shallow and narrow, obviously not meant for people. Marina eyes it doubtfully, but she knew her time was short. This was the best she could do; it would have to suffice.

Pulling Setsuna feet first into the opening, the princess saw that the young man's litheness would fit within the space. Eagerly, she eased him more and more into the cavity, gently supporting his upper body. At last, she lowered his shoulders and head into the space. Looking at his unconscious face, Marina felt her heart lurch with an unnamed pain. Hesitantly, she reached down and wiped away a trail of blood that had trailed down between his eyes.

"Be safe, Setsuna. Thank you for everything." Closing the top of the bench, Marina heard a deafening sound of metal against metal followed by laughter that chilled her to the bone. Ignoring the pain in her back and knees, Marina darted up the stairs and threw herself into the chair Setsuna had occupied. Fumbling with panic, she fastened his broken restraint over her and threw herself on the console, mimicking Setsuna's position after the crash.

The door to the passenger deck _whooshed_ open. Heavy footfalls rang on the metal floor. A dull _thunk_ as the invade put his foot on the first step. The unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

_Control your breathing…_

Step.

_He went right by Setsuna's…_

Step.

_Setsuna will be safe…_

Step.

_Will I become a puppet monarch…_

Whistling.

Step.

_Setsuna will find a way to bring peace…_

Step.

Laughter.

_Even if I am gone…_

Step.

She couldn't hear anything. Was he still on the steps? Had he stopped? Tense, Marina waited what seemed like eons for any sound, any indication… Steeling herself, she opened her eyes just a crack…

"Yo," said the red-haired man who filled her vision.

4


	2. Chapter 2

**Burning in the Homeland**

By Dormeur du Val

Disclaimer: Gundam is the creative property of Bandai Entertainment and I do not claim any ownership of their creations. So, please, do not sue me! 

Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out. Thank you for all your reviews and support. I hope that this lives up to expectations!

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26 Hours Later...

Cold. Marina was cold. Beyond cold. Coming from a brutal, desert climate, she never thought she'd be unappreciative of the cold. However, the last…Marina had lost track of the time…had begun to kindle a burning disgust for it.

All about her was frigid, unyielding metal. Floors, ceiling, walls, even the table and chairs. Gooseflesh pimpled her arms and legs as tiny tremors shook her body; tremors brought on not only by the chilly conditions, but by fatigue. Marina hadn't slept since her time on the Ptolemaios. Oh, how she longed to stop fighting the heavy weight of her eyelids and surrender to the nothingness of sleep! Remembering her earlier acquiescence, Marina reined in her desire with a sigh.

In between bouts of questioning, Marina had attempted to sleep. No sooner had her cheek touched her sleeve did the door fly open and in rushed a soldier who launched a gallon of ice water at her. In shock and pain, Marina had tried to scream, but no sound would issue forth. The freezing water felt as if it was burning every inch of flesh it touched. Pain rocketed through her body, leaving her gasping in ragged, uneven breaths. No, the princess dared not even entertain the idea of a repeat.

Worse by far was the questioning. Her voice, by this point was unbelievably hoarse from use, weariness, and the temperature. Why must they keep asking the same questions over and over? _How did you manage to plan your escape from inside the prison? Where were you between now and then? Is Kataron within the boarders of Azadistan? Is Celestial Being? _Marina tried to be as truthful as she could without giving away any vital information. Despite this, some questions had to be answered with half-truths.

_"I did not plan an escape. I had no idea anyone would come for me."_

_"I do not know who took me from the detention center. I was kept isolated in a small suite of rooms. No one much spoke to me."_

_"I don't know anything about Kataron OR Celestial Being being inside Azadistan."_

The soldier in charge of her questioning was not the evil-eyed man who had arrested her aboard the shuttle. She had not seen him since he had handed her over to a small unit of A-Laws who then brought her to this icy hell. This soldier was much older, heavyset, and bundled in a thick military parka and leather gloves. She eyed them enviously.

His latest line of questioning utilized a map. Pointing to a location, he would ask, "How close is the nearest Kataron base to this location?"

"I wouldn't know."

Jabbing his thick, gloved finger to another location, "When was the last time the Gundams were near this location?"

"I do not know. I am not a member of Celestial Being or Kataron, therefore will be unable to answer any of your questions," Marina replied wearily. "Please, how are my people? Are they safe; is the Federation giving aid?"

The lips of the interrogating soldier curled, "Why should you care?" Holding her spine erect, Marina responded, "I am their princess. Their peace and well-being is my truest desire."

For some reason, this angered the soldier; his face turned from red and a vein bulged out from his forehead. He placed his gloved hands on the table and leaned over it towards Marina.

"Azadistan doesn't need a princess. Azadistan no longer has a princess," he snarled. His words ricocheted inside her heart. Deposed. Azadistan governed by the Federation who had set her ablaze…the implications made her nauseous.

He resumed his questioning.

At some point, the door slid open and a dark form beckoned to the meaty soldier. He stepped out, closing the door behind him. Marina gratefully slumped against her chair and worked her fingers, coaxing feeling back into them. Her nails were a bruised purple-blue. Not good.

He was back inside not five minutes later, a predatory gleam sparkling in his beady eyes. Marina regarded him warily. His queries now came at a rapid-fire that the ex-princess' fatigued mind could not keep up with. All she could answer was, "I don't know".

_CRACK_

Marina felt a sharp blow that snapped her head to the side. Mouth agape, she felt her body shudder with pain. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to close her mouth.

"Now, like I asked before: who was with you when the shuttle went down?" he growled. Marina's heart raced. _They don't know. They can't know…_

"No one. I was alone"

_CRACK_

The acrid smell of blood filled the woman's nostrils; a salty wetness touched her lips. Incredulously, Marina watched as the soldier flung back his hand a third time, readying another swing. A voice crackled over a hidden intercom, "That's enough, Captain. We have just received word that _he_ is on his way back. He wants her coherent." Slowly, the captain dropped his arm to his side, sighing sharply. Pulling his gun, he used it to motion his prisoner to her feet.

Without time to wonder who _he_ was, Marina rose to her feet—only to come crashing to her knees half a second later. Attempting the feat again ended in the same result. Her legs refused to obey her; they were too cold and had gone too long without use. Panicking, it dawned on the woman that it had been some time since she remembered any feeling in her feet. _Frost bite, _she wondered irrationally.

"Get up. NOW!" roared the captain. Without giving her time to comply, he reached out and grabbed a hunk of hair in his meaty fist and wrenched her to her feet. His grip then changed to encircle her upper arm like an implacable, steel band. He growled in his throat, "Move."

Like a newborn lamb, Marina walked, wobbly-kneed and in anything but a straight line. Together, they left her cold prison and emerged into a bright, sterile, and warm hall. How glorious it felt! Marina kept one hand on the wall for support as they trudged down the corridor; between that and the captain's grip on her other arm, she was able to keep her feet.

When they reached a lavatory, the captain jerked his head towards the door and grunted. Marina took the hint and went inside. Grateful of the fact that he had not followed her, Marina used the facilities and then basked in the glory of the hot water as she washed her hands.

Upon emerging, they continued on. The idea of running darted through the woman's mind, but when she dared to glance at the A-Law out of the cut of her eye, he saw and cocked his gun. Marina got the point. Sliding her eyes away from the man, she noticed that there weren't any windows along the corridor. She could not guess where they were. Azadistan, most likely, but in the city? Perhaps the countryside? On the border or maybe in the desert? She had no way of knowing. _Some place where help is very unlikely to find me,_ she thought.

Finally, the captain slowed their pace as he looked at numbers on doors. At last he stopped in front of one and punched in a long code with a think, gloved finger. The door opened only a quarter of the way, no further. The captain jerked Marina away from the wall and shoved her sideways through the opening.

Marina felt herself fly through the air; her body tensed, waiting for impact. She knocked into something solid, jolting her shoulder, and then she and it crashed to the tiled floor. She lay their panting in an exhausted, sore heap, eyes closed.

"Marina Ismail."

The woman's azure eyes flew open at the sound of her name on familiar lips. _Please let it be…I don't want it to be…_ A myriad of conflicting emotions warred in her heart as she peered through the dimness to look into the face of Setsuna F. Seiei. His beautiful face showed only the slightest hint of surprise. Was that relief in his luminous eyes? Too hard to tell in the weak light.

He was sitting, propped up by arms stretched out behind him. Marina was lying on her side, draped across his long, lean legs.

"Setsuna," she breathed. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, allowing the pilot to extract himself. However, her body was done; it had had all it could take. Her limbs buckled, sending her crashing back to the floor, cheek to the tile.

"Marina! Marina!" Strong, yet gentle arms turned her over and cradled her upper body. Marina's chilled body reacted to the warmth radiating from Setsuna's as a flower turning towards the sun. Slim, callused, warm fingers felt along her neck, trailing up until they reached just below her jaw, checking the strength of her pulse. Marina felt shivers rippled up and down her spine.

"You're like ice; what did they do to you?" he demanded, fury creeping into his voice. It was hard to concentrate on his words. She was, at least for now, safe. She didn't have to be strong at the moment. Letting her defenses crumble, Marina felt crippling exhaustion, mental and physical, sweep over her like a tidal wave.

"Questions. Questions in metal and cold. Without sleep. Can't sleep in the cold…" she trailed off, eyes closing.

Adjusting his grip, Setsuna held her tighter, rubbing her shoulders. The friction held to warm her a bit. When he called her name again, Marina couldn't muster the energy to respond. It felt as though her head was disconnected from her body, refusing her desire to speak or move. A touch, soft as an angel's wings, hesitantly brushed the skin along cheek bone, starting near her ear. How wonderful it felt…

Suddenly, a dull throbbing pain cut through the fog of her mind. Marina flinched away from Setsuna's hand, burying her face in his chest. The young man hunched over her, sharp eyes surveying the planes of her face in the darkness. He was so close she could feel his soft breath on her cheek.

"When did this happen?" he asked quietly.

"Questioning," she murmured against him. "The soldier wanted to know who was with me. I don't know. Asked again. Told him was alone. He hit me both times." Setsuna's fingers dug into her. In a low, urgent voice, he asked, "Why did you lie? You should have know they'd know you lied." Using the last of her strength, Marina turned her head to look into his face, the tip of her nose touching his. Bad move. Dots swam across her vision; she tried to blink them away.

"Because," she cried in distress, "you were supposed to be gone—safe! Escape. Why aren't you? I tried! I tried to…"

"Shh. Later. You need rest," Setsuna interrupted as her straightened. The cradled woman made a noise of assent and relaxed in the shelter of the pilot's arms. After a few minutes, he murmured, "Why did you do it, Marina? Why try to save me?" The young man didn't expect and answer; he knew she was already fast asleep.


End file.
